Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-07-27
ANTIQUITY OF LAMPS.
from the Torches Of the Ancients to
the Argand Burners Of To-day.

from the Torches of the Ancients to
the Argand Burners Of To-day.
Lanterns are an ancient institution
You remember that Diogenes used one
In his eccentric efforts to discover
something he did not believe in. The
lanterns OF the Greeks and Romans
contained an oil lamp. Its sides were
made OF thin layers of horn, waved
parchment, linen or bladder. Glass
lanterns were used In England as early
as 7O5. They were expensive, however,
and a thousand years later the tin Ian
tern was chiefly in use among the poor
people. The Chinese excel in the
manufacture of lanterns. They have
used them for ages. Some of their
mandarins have them built at cost of
thousands of dollars each. The word
built Is not out of place here, for these
lanterns are twenty to thirty feet high
and contain hundreds of candles. Their
sides are often of rich cOlOred silk. On
January 18th, Of each year they cele-
brate tfa feast of the lanterns. -
Whyp Oh, It's way they have-they
are heathen5, you know.
No; cradles are not the most pTimi-
tive form of light. In HOmer'3 time
| torches were used, even in the palaces
| of the wealthy. Rush lights, early in
use, were rushes dipped in grease,
pitch or wax. Lamp comes from a
Greek word -lampas. The candles of
Scripture are supposed to have been
| lamps In which olive oil was burned.
The earliest lamps were shallow ve5-
sells of terra Gotta, either round or OBJ
| long IN shape. There was small OPEN
| ing in the top in which the oil was
poured; at one side was a handle, and
| opposite, a nozzle through which the
wick protruded. This form of lamp
is often represented in pictures. Many
of them were ornamented with repre-
| sentations OF war scenes and chariot
races. Bronze lamps and golden lamps
have been discovered of such beauty as
to entitle them to rank among the
choicest specimens of ancient arts. In
the Acropolis at Athens, according to
a historian, was golden lamp, large
enough so that when filed il would
burn night and day for a year. Above
it was bronze palm tree TO carry OF
its fumes and act as reflector. That
was the kind of lamp to have.
Speaking of primitive lamps, some
are still To be found In the country dis
tricts. "While in West Virginia re-
GENTLY" said travelling man, ''I saw
one that was primitive enough. y
saucer was filled with grease, and over
the edge of it hung a lighted wick. II
splutted some, but made enough light
to render the darkness visible, and its
heat was sufficient to light the pipes oI
the family. It was more used for tha
purpose than any other, it appeared &
me, though II was the only light in tn
house. There are many people in The
mountain regions whose only lights ar
tallow-dips.
\ form of the ancient Greek lamp i!
still III use among the Canad laI
French. In the remote districts o
Scotland the -cruisie, a similar lamp, /
sometimes found. Ollye oil, grSunJ
nut oil, poppy oil and other Vegetabl
oils are all used in various districts {
the world. In the tropical region
cocoanut Gil Is used III lamps. Th
trade of candle-making, usually con
bined with that of soap-boilIng. wa
once an important one. Frankli
worked at 1t until he ran away. tn
chandler made wlcks, nodded, AM
dipped his candles until driven out c
his business by the general adoption c
whale oil as an iIluminant early in tn
present century.
Improved lamps were introduce,
about a century ago. y Frenchmal
named Argand, in 1884, invented
burner with two concentrIc tubes, tht
inner one open for current to pas
through, and the outer one cOntainIn-
the wick. He lad metal chimney Il
make it draw and carry off the smoke
Somebody soon found out that glaS.
chimney was better Tor that purpose.
Argand'S lamp, variouSly modified anC
improved, Is the parent of all the best
modern lamps.
| Various substitutes for whale OF
were tried during the present century
but none came into general use unit
coal oil was introduced. 1t was frs
made from canal coal, ant that is thj
way it got It's name. The general de
velopment of the petroleum region 1t
Pennsylvania, which began in 1S59-GO
soon destroyed the manufacture of Goa
oil, just as 1t was getting to be 4 pro
fitable industry. Many Improvement
in lamps followed this discovery. Blu
petroleum is not a rew thIng-neithe
is natural gas. Oil was found IN
spring on Zacyuthu5 or Zant, one o
the Ionian islands, two thousand year
ago, and was burned in lamps III S!cil.
at an early age. 1t was known to tn,
Indians and to the Western pioneers o
America, but somebody had To dis
cover how to get it in quantities anC
use it before the knowledge became o
value to the world. Petroleum exist
in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio
west Virginia, Canada, India and i
the Caucasian Mountains.
/